Viacom Group Merged Under Par’s Cassara

Viacom has officially consolidated its TV station group into the Paramount Station Group with Paramount Stations Group president Anthony Cassara signing a multiyear deal to oversee the expanded group.

As a result of the consolidation, Pat Brady, head of the Viacom Station Group, has resigned after nine years with the company.

Between the Paramount and Viacom stations, Cassara oversees one of the largest groups in the country with 12 major-market stations reaching 18.4% of the country.

The Viacom stations that Cassara adds to his control include NBC affiliates WVIT Hartford, Conn., WNYT Albany and WHEC Rochester, and CBS affil KMOV St. Louis.

On the Paramount front, Cassara oversees eight UPN affiliates including WGBS Philadelphia, WSBK Boston, WDCA Washington, KTXA Dallas, WKBD Detroit, WVEU Atlanta, KTXH Houston and WBFS Miami. Over the past year, Viacom has been on a buying binge and is expected to continue looking for properties should Congress and the FCC relax the TV ownership rules from the current limits of 12 TV stations and a reach of 25% of the country.

Cassara, a broadcasting veteran, joined Paramount in 1993. Before that, he ran his own group.